Epilogue
Two Months Later
“Thank you for coming with me for this,” Justine said two months later.
It was cold and windy in Fort Wayne in early January, but she’d flown home for Elise’s sentencing.
Her stepmother didn’t get the maximum that she felt Elise should have, but she’d be spending five years in prison and she’d have to live with the guilt of what her drinking had caused.
Justine and her sister were picking up the pieces of their lives and moving on. And that meant not saying no to Garrett when he said he was coming with her for support.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he said.
“I know cemeteries probably aren’t your thing,” she said dryly, “but I’d like to introduce you to my father.”
“I told you before, they don’t bother me. It’s a resting place and what you make of it. This is going to bring you comfort and that is what I want.”
“It’s hard for me to do this,” she said. “I haven’t been back since the funeral. It’s just seeing his name there on the stone. I know it’s as you said, a resting place. I have to get comfortable with thinking of it that way.”
They’d gotten out of the rental car and were walking the path toward her father’s plot.
They stopped in front of it and she took a deep breath, then another. The way that Garrett taught her when she was anxious and wanted to bolt.
She wasn’t going to because she had him by her side.
Just like she’d been when he’d won the civil suit last week. The same when they’d told both of their supervisors they wanted to stay on the island.
“I can help with that,” he said.
“I’m sure you’re going to try,” she said, smiling. “Dad. This is Dr. Garrett Mills. You’d like him. I know it. Because though he has some flaws, it’s not enough for me to bring them up to you. Not enough for me to focus on them either.”
He snorted next to her. “Dr. Keller. You’ve raised one hell of a strong daughter here though her biggest flaw is she doesn’t necessarily believe in herself. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to remind her she can do it.”
She sniffled when those words were said. “My father always told me I could do it too. You’d have no way of knowing that.”
“Just saying what I feel,” he said. “And what is in my heart.”
She grabbed his hand, their fingers threading together. “Dad, Garrett’s in my heart. He’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. I want you to know I’m happy. I’m in a good spot. I miss you terribly, but you’re always watching out for me.”
“And I want you to know, Dr. Keller, that I’m watching out for your daughter too. I’d like to ask your blessing to marry her.” She gasped when he said that and felt her knees start to get weak when he pulled a ring box out of his jacket pocket. “Justine tells me you’d like me, so I’m going to assume you’ll say yes.”
The wind was blowing his hair around, hers was doing the same. Her hands were cold on top of it, but it didn’t stop her from pulling her glove off and putting it toward him.
“He would say yes,” she said. “Just like I will when you ask me too.”
He started to get down on his knee and she wanted to tell him he didn’t need to but then told herself to let him do it. Her father would appreciate the gesture and she knew in her heart her father was watching this now.
“Justine Keller. You appeared in my life at a time when I needed hope the most without even knowing it. You’ve made me see the man I am and the one I should be. You’ve made me a better person and I want to be the best man possible for you. I’m asking you with all of my being if you’ll be my wife.”
She was ugly crying, the tears falling unchecked onto the ground, but she was smiling at the same time.
“Dr. Garrett Mills, you’ve made me the best version of myself that I could ever want to be without even knowing what that version was. With all of my being, I’m saying yes, I’ll be your wife. Stand up and kiss me!”
He slid the large diamond that was winking at her in the sun on her finger, then stood up and hugged her tight, twirling her around.
The minute he did, there was a red cardinal that started to fly around close to them making noises.
“Did you see that?” she asked excitedly. She thought of the little statue of the cardinal that Garrett had bought her months ago as a symbol of her father always watching her.
“I did,” he said. “You know he’s watching.”
“And he’s happy,” she said. “I hope as happy as me!”
The End!